New £50m holiday resort in Wales to target Chinese tourists

A new £50 million purpose-built holiday resort targeting wealthy Chinese tourists is planned for the heart of the Welsh countryside.

Developers have submitted planning for a 100-bed luxury hotel and 80 holiday homes on the former county estate near Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire.

The resort would have signs in English and Mandarin and the locally-recruited staff would need to be up to speed with Chinese customs.

It could create around 70 jobs for the area, and aims to attract around 20,000 visitors a year, boosting the local economy.

Over 110,000 Chinese tourists visited the UK last year, spending £184 million, and the Anglo-Chinese company behind the proposed 'Pantglas Estate' hopes to tap into that market.

Contractor Maxhard said: "It will deliver a new tourism concept to attract an international ­clientele."

According to theDaily Mail, Tommy Li, from the developer Maxhard Ltd, described the site as an 'upmarket tourism concept", adding that it's "a luxurious development for a select international clientele looking to enjoy a tranquil Welsh retreat".

Lamidi Evbuomwan, the development's architect, told the Telegraph: "This is a serious application and we've spent almost £500,000 to get to this point. The development would regenerate the area and provide much-needed employment. The needs of the international clientele would need to be served, so it would increase local trade."